Manhunt continues for second Boston Marathon bombing suspect in Watertown

Friday

Apr 19, 2013 at 12:01 AMApr 19, 2013 at 7:09 PM

Vehicular traffic out of Watertown and MBTA service is suspended as public officials urge residents to remain in their homes while the search continues for one of two men suspected in Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings.

Dana Forsythe & Erin Baldassari

Authorities are urging Watertown residents to remain in their homes while the search continues for one of two men suspected in Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings.

The two are also suspected in Thursday’s shooting death of an MIT police officer in Cambridge, followed by a firefight in Watertown where an MBTA Transit Police officer was critically wounded, State Police Commissioner Timothy Alben said.

Just before 6 a.m. Watertown Police Chief Ed Deveau banned vehicular traffic in Watertown until the suspect was caught. A few minutes prior to that announcement, the MBTA notified customers that the trains and bus service would also be shut down until further notice.

Cambridge police sent out an alert at around 6:32 a.m., urging residents to stay in their homes.

Police detained one suspect – who later died in custody – while the second suspect remained at large early Friday morning. Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said the suspect is considered a terrorist and extremely dangerous.

“We believe this to be a man who’s come here to kill people,” Davis said. “We need to get this man into custody.”

The suspect – identified in as the “white-capped” man in the FBI’s photos of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects – is described as light-skinned or Caucasian with curly brown hair and was last seen wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt.

The dramatic turn of events started around 10:20 p.m., Thursday, April 19, when police responded to a report that an MIT officer had been shot near the intersection of Vassar and Main streets in Cambridge. The Middlesex District Attorney’s office confirmed the officer died nearly an hour and a half later from multiple gunshot wounds.

A short time later, police responded to a report of an armed carjacking. According to the District Attorney’s office, the victim was held at gunpoint for nearly a half hour before being released, unharmed, at a gas station on Memorial Drive in Cambridge.

Watertown police intercepted the suspects in the area of Laurel and Dexter streets in Watertown where the two men hurled explosives at Watertown and MBTA police before engaging in a gunfight.

An MBTA officer was struck in the exchange and is in critical condition at Mt. Auburn Hospital, Alben said.

“The most important message we can give right now is for public safety,” Alben said. “We’re asking everyone to shelter in place for the time being and to not leave their homes. If you see anything suspicious, call police.”

There have been no official reports of anyone arrested at the time of this writing, but a heavy military, tactical, and police presence remained on scene in Watertown. Police have cordoned off a 20-block radius emanating from the Laurel Street and School Street area.

MIT student Aimis Soros followed police cars from Vassar Street in Cambridge into Watertown, arriving Mt. Auburn Street near Dexter Avenue with the first of responding police officers around 1 a.m. on April 20. Police surrounded a man on the ground, guns drawn just as a second suspect fled into the side streets of Watertown, Soros said.

“I saw all of the officers pointing their guns at one guy,” Soros said. “There was a lot of screaming and gun shots. The cops were screaming at people.”

Watertown residents Alice and Scott Price said they heard sirens coming up Nichols Avenue in Watertown, followed by three loud explosions.

“It was a big boom. It didn’t sound like gun shots,” Alice Price said. “We heard the explosions and then we heard the gun shots.”

Everett resident Alexandra Lalanne was at a convenience store on Mt. Auburn Street when she saw what she described as “100 police cruisers,” driving down. Lalanne said she was nervous when she saw so many cruisers driver by after Monday’s bombings.

“We thought it was another bomb,” Lalanne said. “We were nervous. You never know.”

As of 6:40 a.m. the second suspect is still at large. Check back to WickedLocal.com/Watertown and WickedLocal.com/Cambridge for more updates.